Our continuous exposure to advertising and sales pitches leads us to believe that marketing activities begin only when goods or services have been produced. But that is only the tip of the iceberg. Marketing is concerned with the analysis of customer needs and securing information needed to design and produce goods or services that match buyer expectations.

Strategic research methods, advertising and promotion, merchandising, sales, and management of products and services are utilised in the process, which applies to profit-oriented firms as well as not-for-profit organisations.